Our Kentucky Law Firm Can Help You With Your Neck Injury Claim
One of the most common types of car accident injuries is whiplash. At least 800,000 people each year (other estimates are as high as 3 million) sustain whiplash injuries in car accidents in this country, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Drivers and passengers in a car accident can sustain whiplash injuries.
It’s also one of the most misunderstood injuries. Whiplash injury claims have an estimated financial impact of $9 billion each year on injury victims, according to an NHTSA study. Such figures include money for medical treatment, replacement income if injury victims miss work while recovering from whiplash from a car accident, and other injury-related expenses.
Even so, some people think whiplash isn’t that serious or isn’t even an injury. That’s why it’s critical that whiplash injury victims fully understand their rights. Otherwise, they might not get the financial compensation they rightfully deserve. That’s why we want to help.
An experienced Louisville whiplash injury lawyer at the Whaley Law Firm knows what you’re going through. We have years of experience fighting for the rights of car accident injury victims throughout Kentucky. When you have our dedicated legal team on your side, you can demand the money you need to recover. You can make sure your whiplash injury gets the attention and respect you rightfully deserve.
How Do I Know If My Whiplash Injury Is Serious?
Every neck and head injury is serious. Whiplash is a type of neck injury in which the neck muscles, nerves and tendons are strained or sprained. Such injuries occur due to the neck being thrust violently forward and backward. Because nothing is broken, whiplash is often referred to as a soft tissue injury. It can also involve nerve damage.
Whiplash injury victims often experience severe neck pain. They also may have a difficult time moving their neck.
Some victims experience “delayed whiplash.” This is when symptoms take hours, days, or even weeks to develop. That’s why it’s important for anyone who suspects that they sustained a whiplash injury in an accident to seek immediate medical attention.
Doctors can diagnose whiplash by conducting different medical tests. This may include taking an X-ray, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan of a person’s neck. However, simply examining a patient is often the best way for doctors to diagnose whiplash since soft tissue injuries sometimes can’t be seen on those scans.
What Are Common Whiplash Symptoms?
If you’re wondering if whiplash can cause lower back pain, the answer is yes. It’s one of the main symptoms of this type of injury. Several hours or days after a car accident, whiplash injury victims may experience some or all of the following symptoms:
- Severe neck pain which gets increasingly worse
- Lower back pain
- Frequent headaches, especially at the base of the skull
- Difficulty moving your neck and loss of range of motion
- Ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus
- Difficulty seeing and blurred vision
- Memory lapses and difficulty concentrating
You know your body best. If something doesn’t seem right and you’re experiencing neck pain after a car accident, seek immediate medical attention. Again, be aware that whiplash symptoms sometimes take several days to develop. So even if you feel fine immediately after an accident, you might still have whiplash. It’s also important to seek medical attention since whiplash-like symptoms can sometimes be a warning sign of other neck or head injuries, including concussions.
How long does whiplash last?
It depends on the circumstances of the crash and the severity of the injury. With prompt medical attention, whiplash damage can be stopped, reduced, or healed. However, even with the best care, sometimes, whiplash injuries cause permanent damage and chronic pain that makes it difficult to work, sleep, and enjoy life overall.
What Types Of Accidents Cause This Neck Injury?
While any type of car accident can cause whiplash, it’s most common in rear-end crashes. This is due to the violent forward and backward motion of the head when you’re in a car that is hit from behind.
Other times, people sustain whiplash in a side impact or T-bone accident, in which one vehicle crashes into the side of another vehicle. Head-on collisions can result in whiplash injuries as well. In these types of crashes, people riding in either car can suffer from whiplash and other serious injuries.
Whatever type of car accident caused your whiplash injury, make sure you get the medical attention you need and deserve. And make sure you fully understand all the legal options available to you. That’s why it’s important to talk to an attorney as soon as possible.
Why Are Whiplash Claims Complicated?
Whiplash injury claims can be complicated for many different reasons, including:
- The driver who caused your accident denies doing anything wrong.
- The other driver claims you somehow caused the collision.
- The at-fault driver’s insurance company downplays the extent of your injury.
- The at-fault driver’s insurance company denies your injury claim.
Don’t be surprised if the other driver’s insurance company insists that you don’t have whiplash, that you’re “faking” your neck injury.
You know the truth. You are hurt and in pain. You need medical care and time to rest and recover. That’s why it’s important that your whiplash injury receives the attention you deserve. Otherwise, you might suffer from chronic pain and other long-term health problems.
How Can A Whiplash Lawyer Help?
When you have an experienced car accident attorney on your side, you can set the agenda. Instead of insurance companies or their lawyers telling you what to do, you are in charge. That’s why we want to meet with you.
The dedicated Louisville whiplash attorneys at the Whaley Law Firm have the experience and the expertise you need to build a strong legal case. We know how the legal system works in Kentucky. We know how to investigate auto accidents. That’s why we consistently obtain sizable settlements and verdicts for injury victims. Case results truly matter here, and you deserve compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
Get the law firm that knows how to win. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation at our Louisville office. Call 502-532-2340 or schedule an appointment online. The sooner you talk to us, the sooner we can help you get your life back on track.